


it gains strength as it goes

by fagsymbiote



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: M/M, i love these boys and also i regret not doing nore for ransom week
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-03
Updated: 2018-04-03
Packaged: 2019-04-17 18:24:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,248
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14194992
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fagsymbiote/pseuds/fagsymbiote
Summary: Vires acquirit eundo.Justin could never remember where he first heard it, but it never quite left his mind, especially since starting Samwell, since making friends he knew he'd have for the rest of his life, since Holster, since Derek.





	it gains strength as it goes

**Author's Note:**

> i love rans so much and i need to write him more tbh!!!!

_Vires acquirit eundo._

Justin could never remember where he first heard it, but it never quite left his mind, especially since starting Samwell, since making friends he knew he’d have for the rest of his life, since Holster, since _Derek._

He was hesitant about Samwell at first. It was far from home, it wasn’t as esteemed a college as he’d hoped he’d go to, it was so very _American_. But they had a damn good hockey program complete with Jack Laurent Zimmermann, and their other departments weren’t half bad either, so he chose Samwell. He grew to love it, of course he did, it was probably the happiest he’d ever been for the most part. 

He made friends too, great ones that, by the time he graduated, were more like family to him. Shitty was more than welcoming, was always nice if not a bit much sometimes. He always made it clear that he could be a shoulder to cry on, someone to philosophize with, or just someone Justin could get stoned with. Jack was a bit of a hardass, but he cared in that weird, quiet, Captain-y way that they all grew to recognize, and he was a solid guy once Justin got to know him. Lardo was a total badass, and the best manager the team could’ve hoped for, and once she got over the weirdness that was hockey bro culture, she was a solid fit to the team.

He and Holster had clicked right away, had never had that buildup most people do when they make friends. Holster was his brother, even from the beginning. He and Justin had a way of balancing each other out that Justin would never take for granted, that he thought he’d never find. Justin knew exactly when to reign Holster in, and Holster knew exactly how to bring Justin out of his shell when he needed the help. They watched reruns on shitty shows, Justin encouraged Holster’s deafening renditions of Broadway musicals, Holster did his best to help Justin through his test anxiety. They were best friends from the day they met, but by the time they graduated, Justin was pretty sure they were soulmates on some level. 

And _Derek_. He and Justin didn’t talk much at first. Derek didn’t talk much to anyone besides Chowder and Shitty at first, at least not outside of impersonal things about classes or practice. Justin barely knew anything about him until nearly the end of Derek’s Frog year, actually. Holster got the flu and had to miss a roadie, and so Derek sat next to him on the bus. 

“You look bored,” he’d said, grinning, and Justin had noticed how beautiful Derek was before--of course he had, he wasn’t blind--but _god,_ he had a great smile. 

“Dude, I’m so fucking bored I’m about to lose my mind,” Justin told him, returning the smile. 

They talked the whole time, and it was a _long_ fucking bus ride, and by the end, Justin actually had a grasp on who Derek was as a person. 

He was nice, really nice, and he had an accent that was definitively New York, but with a hint of something Justin found out was from growing up learning English and Spanish at the same time. He loved poetry, he wanted some of his favorite authors’ quotes tattooed on him--and that was an image Justin couldn’t get out of his head for more than a second--he hardly showed people his writing because he was overly critical of it, he talked to none of the people he used to in high school besides Shitty, and he hated silence. 

Justin also learned that when Derek was nervous, he rubbed his thumb over his knuckles, that he had a slight dimple only on the left side, that he only wore certain types of fabric because certain feelings of fabric on skin made him anxious, that no matter how recently he’d shaved, he always had the hint of a shadow. He learned that Derek was even more gorgeous when he was talking about his passions. 

They talked more after that, and Justin didn’t realize it was anything more than a crush until months later, after buying Derek a coffee like he’d done countess times before. Derek beamed at him, called him a lifesaver, and called him a lifesaver. It was a completely normal interaction, one that they’d had multiple times a week since they started really talking, but for some reason, that particular time smacked Justin right in the face, and he went straight back to the Haus, up to he and Holster’s room, and panicked under the blankets for the next few hours. 

He was in love with Derek Nurse. 

It took him weeks after that, and hours of encouragement from Holster, before Justin even considered making a move. When he finally did, it was on the roof, and it was a mess.

“You’re graduating soon,” Derek said, looking down at his lap.

“Yeah, it’s fucking crazy.” Justin laughed, shaking his head. “Feels like it went by way too fast.”

“Yeah,” Derek muttered. “Don’t forget about me, dude, okay?”

Justin blinked. “What the fuck made you think I could do that?”

Derek shrugged. “Just--you’re leaving, and I’m not. You’ll probably make all sorts of fuckin’ grown up friends and forget about all of us except, like, Bits because he’d kill you.” 

Justin snorted. “You’re the last person here that I’d forget, and I’m not planning on forgetting any of you, okay?”

Derek nodded, tight smile on his face. 

Justin frowned. “Bro, you don’t have to fake smile around me like that, I’m not gonna, like, get pissed if you’re upset that I’m leaving.”

Derek’s eyebrows furrowed. “I’m not fake--”

“Yes you are. When you’re smiling for real, you have a little dimple and your nose wrinkles up and you lean forward. You were faking it,” Justin said, only realizing after he finished that he had probably said way too much. 

“I didn’t think you--you paid that much attention,” Derek said softly, eyes widening.

Justin just shrugged, looking down at his lap. 

Derek cleared his throat. “I pay attention to those things too. Like, when you do them,” he fumbled out. 

Justin felt a smile tugging at his lips, and he looked back up to Derek’s face. “Yeah?”

Derek nodded, looking a bit terrified. 

“Do you want to go get dinner? As a date?” Justin asked, hiding his shaking hands in his lap.

“I--yeah, definitely,” Derek said immediately, a real, genuine smile on his face. 

Justin breathed a sigh of relief. “I like you so much,” he said quietly.

“That’s--that’s good because I like you a hell of a lot.”

“I’d be an idiot to forget about you after I graduate,” Justin said, matter-of-fact, and reached over to grab one of Derek’s hands in his. If he was being brave today, might as well. 

Derek nodded and lifted their hands, kissing Justin’s knuckles. Justin felt winded at the show of affection, and wondered how he was going to survive getting it regularly. 

“I could get used to this,” he said instead. Derek snorted a laugh, and Justin leaned over, laying his head on Derek’s shoulder. “We should probably go soon if we want to do dinner tonight.”

“Probably.”

Neither of them made any move to leave. A few more minutes of this couldn’t hurt. 

Justin scooted closer, wrapping his free arm around Derek. 

_Vires acquirit eundo._

**Author's Note:**

> leave a comment and lmk what you think!!


End file.
